Haslam shows off new Silverstone 'body paint' scheme

As Silverstone prepares to host the next round of the eni FIM Superbike World Championship, the Northamptonshire circuit has teamed up with British rider Leon Haslam for a 'revealing' preview activity with a difference. Currently sixth overall in the highly competitive series, Haslam was patience-personified ahead of his home race, as he sportingly agreed to strip down to the waist and have his BMW Motorrad Motorsport team leathers painted onto his torso and arms by double World Body Painting Champion, Carolyn Roper.

It took Carolyn over three hours to replicate Haslam's leathers on his upper-body, but the end result was quite spectacular and well worth the wait. Carolyn's unique style and attention to detail has firmly established her as one of the World's leading body painters. By the time she had finished, it was practically impossible to distinguish where Haslam's leathers stopped and the body paint started.

Haslam then joined one of the UK's leading portrait photographers, Gary Prior, for a photo shoot in one of the Silverstone garages. Prior has photographed some of the biggest names in sport, ranging from David Beckham, Lionel Messi and Jonny Wilkinson to Andy Murray, Jenson Button and Maria Sharapova.

Speaking about his body painting experience, Haslam said: "It was frustrating having to stand in one place for three hours and not see what was going on, but I couldn't believe it when Carolyn had finished applying the paint and I was finally allowed to look in the mirror. The body paint was unbelievably realistic and the attention to detail, right down to the sponsors' badges, was incredible. Carolyn is amazingly talented."